Reds rally to sink Cubs in ninth

Dempster blew his ninth save opportunity of the season, allowing
the tying run to score on a wild pitch, and Scott Eyre yielded
a game-winning, pinch-hit single to Royce Clayton, as the Cubs
continued their miserable season with a 3-2 loss to the
Cincinnati Reds.

Pitching magnificently through seven innings, Harang (15-11)
coughed up rookie Buck Coats' first career homer that gave
Chicago a 2-1 lead. It was just the third hit allowed by
Harang, but Dempster's implosion prevented him from absorbing
his 12th loss of the season.

"I've been (awful)," Dempster said. "Today was even worse. I
put Scott (Eyre) in a bad situation. No excuses, my stuff is
good and my arm feels fine. I've got to be better. I've got to
be better for the next six games and the rest of my career."

Handed a 2-1 lead, Dempster (1-9) yielded a leadoff double in
the ninth to Todd Hollandsworth and then uncorked two wild
pitches, allowing pinch runner Ray Olmedo to score the tying
run.

Since August 14, Dempster does not have a save and is 0-4.

"I haven't had a save in I don't know how long," Dempster said.
"I've always been a confident guy. Maybe I cheated the baseball
gods at cards. I've never quit before and I'm not going to
quit now."

"We tried to use him (Dempster) in less stressful situations to
get his stuff together," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "I'd
like to run him out there again but I bet his confidence is
down."

The Reds loaded the bases against Dempster on singles by Chris
Denorfia and Scott Hatteberg and an intentional walk to Rich
Aurilia. Baker then called for Eyre and Clayton won an 11-pitch
duel against the lefthander, grounding a single to left to
plate the winning run, as Cincinnati remained six games back of
Philadelphia in the National League wild card race.

"I knew if I hooked it to third base there could be a double
play," Clayton said. "I was trying to stay up the middle and he
knew that. That was the strategical battle. I kept trying to
hit the ball the other way and he was trying to get me to pull
it."

The 6-7 Harang was overpowering for the first seven innings and
ended up allowing just two runs and six hits while striking out
nine. But two of those hits left the park - solo shots by
Aramis Ramirez, his career-high 37th, in the fourth and Coats in
the eighth.

"I thought Harang was going to have a complete game on 90
pitches," Cincinnati manager Jerry Narron said. "I wanted to
give him every chance to win the game."

Harang wiggled free of a ninth-inning jam to wrap his fifth
complete game of the season, tying Chris Carpenter and Brandon
Webb for the National League lead. Narron let Harang pitch the
ninth because he entered the inning having thrown just 81
pitches.

His 15th win was a career high and he improved to 5-1 lifetime
against the Cubs, the only loss coming on April 3.

"Harang is tough, period," Baker said. "He can pitch. He's not
among the leaders in strikeouts for nothing."